Electronically controlled components are known. A block diagram of a system having a component that is electronically controlled by a controller is shown in FIG. 1. For example, one or more components 101 may be electronically controlled by an engine control module (ECM) 103 of an internal combustion engine 105. The electronically controlled component 101 may interact with other components 107 and 111 via physical and/or electrical interfaces 109 and 113, respectively. The other components 107 and 111 may or may not also be electronically controlled. For example, the electronically controlled component 101 may be an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve that interfaces with other components 107 and 109 such as an EGR cooler outlet and an intake manifold inlet for an engine 105.
As the assemblies in which electronically controlled components become more complex, utilizing multiple electronically controlled components to provide the same function becomes a necessity. Nevertheless, the controller, i.e., the source of the control, such as an ECM, for the electronically controlled components may not be able to source more than one electronically controlled component at a time due to physical or electrical constraints. Increasing the complexity of the controller by adding new outputs to the controller may not be possible due to limited output capability or may be too costly.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus to control multiple electronically controlled components without adding unnecessary complexity or cost.